“Every time I learn a new word,
“Another universe opens up!”
Learn 25 languages ​​and learn how to use them right away.

Japan's 'language genius' meets Korea's 'language monster'!
Translation of "Shingyeonsik," translated from 25 languages ​​into Korean

★ Amazon's #1 Bestseller in the Language Learning Category! ★
Selected as the Asahi Shimbun's 2022 Book of the Year
★ A book that has been highlighted by numerous media outlets, including the Yomiuri Shimbun, Bungei Shunju, and Da Vinci! ★

With recent advancements in AI translation technology, there's less to worry about when traveling abroad.
Simply turn on the translation app and the language barrier is easily broken down.
However, if you use machine translation, it is somewhat difficult to obtain the pleasure that can only be obtained through direct conversation and becoming close.
There is a "language genius" who, in pursuit of the joy of communication that transcends borders, has become immersed in the allure of language and has mastered 25 languages.
This is Hideyuki Takano, the author of “Conquering the World with Language.”


How did a "language genius" master 25 languages? This book shares the author's vivid experiences, as he developed his own method over 30 years of hard work.
There is no place he cannot go, as he records and transcribes native speakers' speech, and even if he doesn't know the vocabulary and grammar well, he learns the local language by imitating the other person's speech and gestures.
He travels to the Congo in search of legendary monsters, explores the Amazon River basin, aids the independence movement of ethnic minorities in Myanmar, and reports on opium production in Wazhou, China. He also shares unique stories of language learning that will allow him to blend in naturally anywhere in the world.

We met with Hideyuki Takano, a Japanese "language genius" who enjoys freely conversing with anyone in the world, and Shin Kyeon-sik, a Korean "language monster" translator who taught himself over 15 foreign languages ​​and translated 25 languages ​​into Korean.
In the Korean version, the original text was added to the translation by Shin Kyeon-sik.
You can experience the fun of exploring the world of unfamiliar languages, including relatively familiar foreign languages ​​such as French, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese, as well as Thai, Burmese, and the languages ​​of the Shan people of Myanmar and the Wa people of China, all in an even more vivid way.

Most people think that learning a foreign language starts with beginner level and gradually moves up through beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels over several years, but I never follow that order.
It's rare that I've studied a language for more than a few years.
The learning period is actually about a year at the longest, or 2-3 weeks at the shortest, and on average, it would be about a few months.
I also travel and improvise by learning languages ​​I encounter locally.

The purpose is also different from that of ordinary people.
The reason I'm so passionate about language is because of the incredibly unique adventures I'm pursuing, like searching for unknown giant creatures in remote areas like Asia, Africa, and South America, or infiltrating mysterious drug-related areas.
The scope of this "exploratory activity" is wide, including non-fiction reporting, but once the goal is achieved, the learning of the language is also over.
---From "Introductory Remarks"

Communication is a collaborative effort.
I don't have conversations alone.
There is always a counterparty, and that counterparty mostly cooperates to establish communication.
About six months before leaving for my trip, I went to driving school to get my driver's license.
I remember one instructor saying this in class:
"Guys, once you get your license and actually go out on the road, you're probably worried about hitting another car. But it's okay.
All the other drivers are better than you.
“I’ll get out of the way.” At that time, there were no words that reassured me more than these.

The same goes for language learning.
“You might be worried that you won’t be able to communicate, but everyone else is doing better.
“I will help you.” If you don’t help, the conversation won’t work and the other person will be in trouble.
Just like if you don't avoid a car that's driving poorly, other cars will have a hard time.
---From "Chapter 1: The Eve of the Language Big Bang in India"

This shouldn't be happening.
Feeling like I was wasting my time and money, I thought about it and came up with a groundbreaking solution.
I decided to record the entire class.
I recorded 60 minutes on tape and then came home and transcribed all the chatter.
For parts I didn't know, I inferred them by referring to a dictionary or grammar book.
And then ask Teacher Sylvie to check it in the next class.

The recording learning method was surprisingly effective.
The best thing about it was that I could learn 'real French spoken by French people'.
Regular school classes cover standard language.
Textbooks say, 'This is the preferred French language,' but that's not always the way French people actually speak.
Teacher Silbi had zero intention of teaching, so everything was 'unadorned' and natural.
So it's all completely real French.
---From "Chapter 2: Exploring African Monsters and the Language Big Bang"

My approach to language learning changed when I was exposed to Lingala.
When I was learning English or French, I always worried about accuracy.
It was centered around correct grammar, pronunciation, and correct spelling.
Through my trip to India, I realized that in real-life conversations, it's okay to make mistakes, as long as you can communicate, but when I was studying, I was still ingrained in the traditional language education that pursued accuracy.

But if you focus on whether it's fun or not, it doesn't really matter whether it's wrong or not.
The key is 'how much do you speak like a local?'
For example, 'very delicious' is 'kitoko mingi키토코 밍기'.
This is a 100% accurate textbook expression.
However, when you say 'kitoko kitoko kitoko', it gives off a Lingala-like vibe that makes it sound like 'it's so delicious!' and is liked by locals.

How can I speak like a local? The only way is to imitate the locals.
I often observe what people I actually meet in places like hotels, bars, and markets say, what they say, and in what state they are in.
I'll say the same thing as that person, but more exaggeratedly.
It's about to be imitated.
We have come to the conclusion that this method is the most popular.
---From "Chapter 2: Exploring African Monsters and the Language Big Bang"

As a side note, if you want to improve your language skills while traveling abroad, you should never go with someone who is even slightly better at it than you.
When I leave it up to that person to communicate with the locals while traveling, I end up in the same situation as many of my students.
On the other hand, if you go with someone who is worse than you, it may be a hassle to act as an 'interpreter', but your skills will definitely improve.
---From "Chapter 4: The Multilingual World of the Golden Triangle"

The teacher picked up a piece of chalk and wrote '?好' '??' '再?' in large letters on the blackboard.
‘It’s this again… …’ I said, feeling a little fed up.
The class was on its third day.
Two Japanese teachers, a male and female, have already taught us greetings, simple expressions, and grammar.
To begin with, any Japanese person knows that level of greeting.
Moreover, I am so experienced that I don't even know how many times I have learned a foreign language.
The beginner class was so boring.
For a moment, I thought to myself that maybe I shouldn't have enrolled in a language school.
But at that moment, I heard the teacher reading.

“Ni hao! Xie Xie! Zhai Jian!” I felt electricity running through my body.
Before that, or since, in my long language learning journey, I have never been so shocked in a single moment.

'Is this real Chinese!' Anyway, the voice is loud.
The tone is strong.
Make a sound from the stomach.
There is no hesitation or hesitation.
Just by uttering three words, the magnificent continent of China seemed to unfold before my eyes.
It sounded like a completely different language from the “ni hao,” “xie xie,” and “zai jien” that the two Japanese teachers were saying.
That was the moment I became fascinated with Chinese.
---From "Chapter 5: Languages ​​of the World's Most Amazing 'Countries'"

Such language will not disappear.
For example, with Korean idol groups and K-pop, led by BTS, gaining immense popularity among young people and children, the number of people learning Korean is increasing.
For a moment, I wonder, "Why?" BTS's lyrics and speeches are all probably translated, so why bother learning Korean? But once you become a fan, translations aren't enough, and you find yourself yearning to connect with them.
It's easy to understand if you think about it, like I was in that position myself.

Translation or interpretation is like having a conversation through a glass window.
The desire to touch others we are interested in directly, without a glass window between us, may be rooted in human instinct.
I am confident that language will survive as long as we listen to each other's heartbeats.
---From "Epilogue and the Journey of Language Learning Continues"

With the steady advancement of machine translation, skepticism about foreign language learning has begun to surface, and finally, the era of AI, where the uselessness of language learning and (human) translation is being raised here and there, has suddenly arrived.
At first glance, it seems that way.
AI chatbots that are even more genius than the so-called language geniuses are active here and there.
A genius is a person gifted by heaven, so will artificial intelligence created by humans take the place of a talented person?

The original title of this book is '100 Million Light Years to Language Genius'.
Although the nature of the book is somewhat different, it coincidentally shares the metaphor of space with my book, How to Navigate the Language Universe with Pleasure.
The ways to encounter the universe of language are as infinite as the universe itself.
Being able to converse with someone who speaks a different language allows me to explore a previously unseen universe, or to examine the history of a word and uncover the warp and weft of the world woven within it.
There's no need to feel discouraged just because there are tons of people on YouTube who are better at foreign languages ​​than me.
Just because AI seems to speak and write smoothly, it doesn't mean we should just throw away our deep-seated speech and writing, even if it's a bit harsh.
In space, there is no front or back, no up or down.
All we have to do is decide on our own path and move forward.
Then, when we meet, we can exchange stories.

---From the Translator's Note